21F.713 Advanced Reading & Writing in Spanish
Fall 1999
M/W, 1:00-2:30, Room 16-676
Adriana Gutiérrez, 14N-329c, x3-7248. (agutierr@mit.edu)
Office hours: M/W, 11:00-12:30 or by appointment.
Course description:
The aim of this course is to introduce students to basic techniques of interpretation and analysis of literary texts in Spanish as well as to review key concepts of Spanish grammar. We will read works by Horacio Quiroga, Juan Rulfo, Rosario Castellanos, Antonio Machado, Octavio Paz and Jorge Luis Borges, among others. The readings represent a variety of genres (a novel, short stories, poems and a play). The authors' national backgrounds will give an example of what we call, very broadly, Hispanic culture. The study of literary materials aims at improving the student’s ability to read and write in Spanish and to carry out a solid analysis of a text in Spanish.
Required Readings:
Buero Vallejo, Antonio. La tejedora de sueños. La llegada de los dioses (Cátedra, 1996).
Coleman, Alexander (ed.). Cinco maestros: Cuentos modernos de Hispanoamérica (Harcourt, Brace &World, Inc.).
Dozier, Eleanor and Zulma Iguina. Manual de gramática: Grammar Reference for Students of Spanish (Heinle &Heinle, 1998).
García Márquez, Gabriel. El coronel no tiene quien le escriba, (Editorial Sudamericana, 1996).
All the books can be purchased at The M.I.T. COOP. All the other readings for this course will be at the Reserve Reading Room in Hayden Library. Students will also receive xeroxed materials in class and will be billed for them at the end of the semester.
Course Requirements:
Students are expected to attend all classes. More than TWO unexcused absences will automatically lower your grade. Class participation is a must in this course. Students are expected to engage actively both in the discussion of the texts as well as in the grammar exercises.
Papers:
Papers will be turned in on time (on the dates indicated in the syllabus). No late papers will be accepted. You will have the option to rewrite your paper within one week of its return if you are dissatisfied with your grade. You can always make an appointment with me to discuss your work in progress and I will be happy to help you.
Students are encouraged to use "El corrector", a program for writing grammatically correct Spanish. "El Corrector" is available at the LLARC.
Grades:
Grades will be based on class participation (including the quality of the comments made), class attendance, exams, quality and timely submission of the papers:
50% Papers (10% each paper)
20% Exams
30% Class Participation
Please Note:
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense. "Plagiarism" is defined and discussed in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers in the following fashion: "Plagiarism is the act of using another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the source. [...] To plagiarize is to give the impression that you have written or thought something that you have in fact borrowed from someone else. [...] You may certainly use other persons’ words and thoughts in your research paper, but you must acknowledge the authors. [...] The most blatant form of plagiarism is to repeat as your own someone else’s sentences, more or less verbatim. [...] Other forms of plagiarism include repeating someone else’s particularly apt phrase without appropriate acknowledgment, paraphrasing another person’s argument as your own, and presenting another’s line of thinking as though it were you own. [...] If you have any doubt about whether or not your are committing plagiarism, cite your source or sources." Plagiarism also includes using material gathered from internet sources without acknowledging them. Students should be aware that they will be subject to severe institutional sanctions if they are caught engaging in any form of plagiarism.
Syllabus of the course:
FEBRUARY
Wed. 3 Introduction. Horacio Quiroga, "El almohadón de plumas".
Mon. 8 Horacio Quiroga, "Los mensú". Dozier, Manual de Gramática, capítulos 5 y 6. Read Friedman, "Introducción a la narrativa" in: Aproximaciones al estudio de la literatura hispánica, pp. 2-10. (on Reserve).
Wed. 10- Rulfo, "Luvina" in: Coleman, Cinco maestros, pp.147-157.
Mon. 15 FIESTA
Tuesday 16. (Monday schedule of classes to be held) García Márquez, El coronel... caps.1 y 2. Dozier, Manual de Gramática, caps. 5 y 6. (First paper due, 2-3 pp.) Topic: "El almohadón...", "Los Mensú" or "Luvina".
Wed. 17 El coronel..., caps. 3 y 4. Dozier, Manual de Gramática, cap. 7.
Mon. 22 El coronel..., caps.5, 6, . Dozier, Manual de Gramática, cap. 7.
Wed. 24 El coronel..., cap.7. Dozier, Manual de Gramática, cap. 7.
MARCH
Mon. 1- Rosario Castellanos, "Los convidados de agosto" ( on Reserve) (Second paper due, 3-4 pp. Topic: El coronel...) Dozier, Manual de Gramática, caps. 3 y 4.
Wed. 3 Castellanos, "Los convidados de agosto."
Mon. 8 Poesía. Antonio Machado. Read: Friedman, Aproximaciones... "Introd. a la poesía", pp.101-113. "El lenguaje literario", pp.115-120. (on reserve) (Xeroxed copies of the poems will be provided)
Wed. 10- Poesía- César Vallejo ("Los heraldos negros". "Hoy me gusta la vida mucho menos", "Me viene, hay días, una gana ubérrima"). (Xerox copies of the poems will be provided)
Mon. 15 Poesía. Octavio Paz, "Piedra de sol". "Movimiento". Xerox copies of the poems will be provided) (Third paper due, 2-3 pp. on one of the poems analyzed in class).
Wed. 17 Exam.
Mon. 22-26 SPRING VACATION.
Mon. 29 Buero Vallejo, "La tejedora de sueños". Read: "Introducción al drama" in Friedman, Aproximaciones... pp.198-209.
Wed. 31 Buero Vallejo, "La tejedora de sueños".
APRIL
Mon. 5 Buero Vallejo. "La tejedora de sueños".
Wed. 7 Borges, "El sur", in Cinco maestros, pp. 41-48. Dozier, Manual de Gramática. (Fourth paper due, 3-4 pp. )
Mon.12 Donoso, "Paseo", in Cinco maestros, pp.171-192. Dozier, Manual de Gramática.
Wed. 14 Cortázar, "La salud de los enfermos" in: Coleman, Cinco maestros... pp.63-79. Dozier: pronouns.
Mon. Tue. 19 y 20 Patriots Day.
Wed. 21 Carmen Martín Gaite, "Tendrá que volver". (Fifth paper due, 3-4 pp.)
Mirar la película "Men with Guns".
Mon. 26 Discusión de la película "Men with Guns".
Wed. 28. Augusto Monterroso, "Míster Taylor". (on Reserve)
MAY
Mon. 3- Poesía. Tino Villanueva.
Wed. 5- General review
Mon. 10- Exam.